The UKIP candidate who could push the Tories into third place in a by-election this week is being backed by a bizarre figure who calls himself ‘Lord Lust’ and once appeared in a pornographic film.

John Bickley - who polls predict could come second to Labour in Thursday’s Wythenshawe and Sale East vote - has been nominated by the eccentric James Hadfield-Hyde, who starred in the adult movie Up At The Crack Of Dawn.

Mr Bickley was further embarrassed last night as it emerged that despite his anti-EU beliefs, he accepted nearly £100,000 from Brussels to prop up one of his firms.

Connection: UKIP hopeful John Bickley, left, whom some say could come second in an upcoming by-election, was nominated to stand by James Hadfield-Hyde, right, who once played a TV character named Lord Lust

The disclosures suggest that UKIP leader Nigel Farage is still struggling to fulfil his promise to weed out the ‘Walter Mitty’ characters among his ranks - such as councillor David Silvester, who blamed this winter’s flooding on the Government’s decision to legalise gay marriage.

Mr Hadfield-Hyde, who has been described as ‘a cad, womaniser and bon vivant’, purchased the title of Lord of the Manor of Alderley in the 1990s.

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He went on to host a late-night adult programme called Lord Lust’s Lovelies, in which he was surrounded by barely clothed models, before appearing in Up At The Crack Of Dawn.

Erotic links: Mr Bickley was involved in distributing the film version of Mandingo, pictured here in book form

Publicity material for the film said: ‘The country estate of Lord Lust is jam-packed with nude lovelies indulging in gentrified hanky panky, from Susan the poacher to Vicky the portrait painter.’

Mr Bickley was himself managing director of a company, CIC Video, that distributed erotic titles such as Mandingo: A Story Of Forbidden Passion In The Deep South. He accepted EU money for another of his companies.

In 2006, he took £95,000 from a special EU ‘seed fund’ for his software company Genemation, of which he was CEO.

At the time he said: ‘The backing and support from the Liverpool seed fund was crucial and we are looking forward to working closely with the fund as we develop.’ The company went into liquidation in 2009, owing more than £450,000.

UKIP’s central policy is that Britain should withdraw from the EU.

Shortly after Mr Bickley was named as the party’s candidate he said: ‘Parliament has outsourced the running of this country to the EU. Labour and the Conservatives have subjugated - by stealth - control of this country to the EU and its quangos.’

The by-election, which follows the death of Labour MP Paul Goggins, is the first major electoral test of 2014 for UKIP.

The party is hoping a strong showing - followed by a good result in May’s European elections - will act as a springboard for next year’s General Election.

Strategy: Mr Bickley on the campaign trail in Wythenshawe, Manchester, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage, right

A poll last week showed Labour heading for first place in the by-election with 61 points, with UKIP second on 15 points - up 12 points since the 2010 Election. It means the party is set to leapfrog the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

A UKIP spokesman said: ‘James presented a programme called Lord Lust’s Lovelies which was a Granada/Sky production on mainstream TV. No clothes were removed.’

Mr Bickley denies his stance on the EU grant is hypocritical because he was not a member of UKIP at the time he accepted the money.